The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 5 by Bella Forrest (book series for 10 year olds .TXT) 📕

“Are you sure they’re gone?” asked Ellabell.

Alex smiled. “I promise they’re gone.”

Tentatively, the group’s eyes opened in one collective movement. There was more fear written on their faces than Alex had ever seen before, and he could understand why; the specters were worrying creatures to come up against.

Feeling a pang of terror, Alex addressed the others. “Do you swear the specters didn’t open your eyes?”

“They tried, but I managed to fight them,” said Aamir.

“I kept them squeezed tight, I swear,” replied Ellabell.

Only Lintz did not answer right away, his face drained of color.

“Professor?” prompted Alex.

Lintz shook his head as if shaking off something unpleasant. “I didn’t look at them,” he answered at last, bringing Alex a small measure of relief.

“Good, then we should get going,” he said, pointing toward the spiral staircase leading down into the floor.

They descended toward the next task, but the mood had taken a drastic turn. Nobody spoke, the only sound being the scuff of their shoes on the stone steps as they headed down, the atmosphere growing hotter the farther into the earth they walked.

At the bottom of the steps stood a vast iron door, with a depiction of Theseus and the Minotaur carved into the metal surface. It didn’t bode well, bringing to Alex’s mind a remembrance of the task with the mechanical beasts. A relatively easy challenge, in hindsight, but no less frightening at the time.

“Abandon hope, all ye who enter,” said Lintz ominously, smoothing his hand over the frieze.

Alex gave a tight chuckle. “No need to be pessimistic—it can’t be any worse than the last room,” he said, immediately wishing he hadn’t tempted fate. The others seemed to share his feeling, as they flashed him worried looks.

The door opened by itself with a force that shook the walls, making dust fall from the roof above their heads. As it slid to one side, it revealed two corridors that split off in either direction, instantly clarifying the depiction on the door. Theseus and the Minotaur—it could only mean one thing: they were heading into a labyrinth.

On the side of each entrance were two tiles. On the right-hand tile were the letters “M” and “N,” and on the left were the letters “L” and “W.” In the center, above both tiles, was an inscription, reading, “Here is where your paths diverge. Pray they cross again.”

“What do you think it means?” Alex asked, taking a closer look.

“I think it means we have to split up,” replied Aamir, gesturing toward the letters with a trembling hand. His injury had become worse, his hand flopping limply, the bandage drenched in scarlet.

“Yes, you see, the tiles—I don’t think the letters are arbitrary,” Lintz agreed.

Ellabell’s eyes widened. “You’re right, Professor! ‘N’ and ‘M’—Aamir’s last name is Nagi. Mine is Magri. So, the two of us must go this way. Alex, that means you and Lintz need to go that way,” she said, with an apologetic look. “It’s probably for the best; I can change Aamir’s bandage on the way. It’s starting to look a bit nasty,” she added, with forced brightness.

Alex didn’t feel positive about the decision in any way, though he knew better than to argue with the vault’s demands. If he were to argue and insist on going with Ellabell, who knew what retribution the challenge might take? It seemed to him that the vault was doing this on purpose, splitting Alex and Ellabell up, to test them separately. Perhaps it was also meant to test his resolve in putting the tasks before any personal feelings. It wasn’t fair, and he feared the reasoning behind it, but he wasn’t about to defy the rules of the game. Not with so few tasks left to undertake.

“Our paths will cross again,” she said, evidently seeing his discomfort. “If we move quickly, and follow the rules, we’ll see each other again soon.”

Alex smiled, pulling Ellabell into a tight embrace and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. He still didn’t feel comfortable kissing her properly in front of the watchful eyes of Aamir and Lintz, but he desperately longed to.

“I’ll see you on the other side,” he whispered close to her ear.

“You better.” She smiled, melting Alex’s heart a little.

After a more casual farewell to Aamir, the group parted ways. Alex watched as Aamir and Ellabell disappeared down the right-hand passageway, before following Lintz down the left. It became clear within minutes that this place was definitely a labyrinth, as Alex had suspected, but what purpose it was intended to serve wasn’t yet apparent. It was just plain stone, no traps, no tricks, just an ever-winding walkway.

“How are we supposed to know which way to go?” Alex asked, brushing his hand against the blank wall.

Lintz smiled. “There’s a mathematical knack to these things. You stick with me, and I won’t lead you far wrong!” he explained, charging off through the maze. Alex followed confidently, knowing the professor had as good a chance as anyone of getting them through it.

Turning a corner, Alex spotted the first clue. A giant glass bubble of water, tinted blue, sat perched on a plinth. Nearing it, Alex could see a golden letter trapped inside, about the size of his palm—the letter “P.” However, the bubble was enclosed in its entirety; there was no lid to lift, no gap through which to attain the letter. It was truly trapped in there, with no easy way out.

“We could try smashing it?” Alex suggested, as he approached the glass orb. Trying to pick it up, he felt his muscles twinge under the strain; it was much too heavy to lift.

Lintz twisted the ends of his moustache in thought. “It must certainly be smashed,” he said. “The question is, how?”

The pair of them stalked around the orb for several minutes, inspecting every curve, in the vain hope that they might have missed something. Alex investigated the plinth too, wanting to seek out a secret lever, or a button, or another clue as to how to break open the